The Onion Tree
by TheMitzez
Summary: After Thanos wiped out all of humanity, Shrek is the only remaining soul left within the universe. Can he restore humanity back to the way it was, or will he find himself facing the same fate as those he failed to protect? The only hope that he has left is for the final onion of The Onion Tree to fall, which according to legend, allows Oogway to return into the mortal realm.
1. The Final Onion

**This story is not a part of my universe, just something that I needed to post. Actually I changed my mind it is but that will be explained in a later story. Warning this story is very emotional and you may experience extreme depression after reading it.**

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Shrek was never one to accept defeat. Even in the most dire of situations he would always do whatever it takes to pull through and succeed. However, this time was different. He had failed to do the one thing he swore to always do, protect those that could not protect themselves. He gave it his all, he nearly lost his own life in the betterment of others, but ultimately failed. Humanity was wiped out by a far more powerful being, Thanos. Now all that was left was Shrek, waiting for Thanos to finally find him. He had been in hiding for thousands of years, protecting the one thing that gave him hope, The Onion Tree. Legend says that once all of the onions fall off of the legendary tree, Oogway would appear underneath it. Oogway was said to be a beacon of hope for all of life, that he was capable of returning the earth and all that had lived within it to their former selves. However, all of it was just a legend.

Shrek had no other choice really. What else was he going to do? Try and fight Thanos once more, even in his weakened state? No, he did not think it was the best idea. He managed to stay hidden for so long, underneath The Onion Tree where legends were born. One single onion remained attached to the branches, waiting for it's time to come. Shrek watched it each and everyday, waiting for the very moment for it to fall. He knew that it had to be soon, for all of the other onions fell years ago. He gathered each of them as an offering for the gods, placing them in a single wooden basket with a broken handle; it was his mother's gift she gave to him before she passed. Shrek believed that as long as kept watch of the tree, everything would be fine.

The days were growing ever longer and colder as winter grew closer. Soft and fluffy snowflakes began to descend from the heavens, covering the earth in bright blanket of powder. Shrek smiled underneath the tree as remembered the days where he and his mother played outside without a care in the world. They would build a snowman and snowwoman, do not ask what the difference is. He certainly did not know. His mother was just like that, quite odd, but still the most loving individual he had ever met. He always dreamed of meeting another ogre that shared his mother's qualities, but that dream was locked away in the past. A past once filled with hopes and dreams crumbled into despair ever since Thanos arrived on that dreadful day. He clenched his fists thinking back on it, praying that Oogway would finally arrive.

In order to take his mind off his thoughts, he stood up and walked over to the base of the tree. He gently stroked the bark of it, feeling it's rough surface and bringing peace to his mind. Something about the tree always made him feel calm and happy, perhaps the legends about it were really true. After feeling it for a few more moments he walked over to the edge of the cliff where he resided. Far down below him was a large valley filled with bushy trees and massive river that spanned as far as the eye could see. The blanket of snow covering it made it even more of a sight for him to see. A large mountain could be seen in the far background, towering above everything else around it. Behind it and barely visible was the beginning of the swamp, where he had lived growing up.

He gave a soft smile and turned back towards the tree. Something was… off. The snow had stopped falling from the sky and the world became silent. The clouds above him grew dark and ominous, as if something sinister was occurring. Shrek knew that there was something happening and he needed to be ready. He quickly ran to his shed and burst through the creaky wooden door. It nearly broke off its hinges as he ran up to the wall, where several items hung. He pondered for a moment which weapon would be best for combat, all of them seemed like good options. From dual wield onion revolvers to an onion sword that he had used during the battle of the swamp, where he had lost his mother. Seeing brought back terrible memories of that day, but he knew that he had no other choice. All of the other weapons were nearing the end of their days, but the onion sword never withered.

Throwing his memories into the back of his mind, he grabbed the sword off of the shelf and held it firmly in his grasp. He turned back around to the exit and promptly walked out into the open air. The sky was much darker now, and a slight drizzle had begun. Echoes of thunder broke the silence he was so used to. Looking up at The Onion Tree, he insured that the remaining onion was not interfered with. Though, through the soft breeze and the slight drizzle of rain, he noticed something. The onion was nearing its final moments. He gasped upon the realisation that the final onion was about to fall. He knew that all had to do to save humanity was stop the menace that was nearing him. He could feel the presence growing ever closer with every droplet that landed on his face, when suddenly something was appearing behind him

He spun around to see a blue circle forming, with blue clouds surrounding it. Thanos had arrived. The portal grew larger and larger until within it he could see the purple mass of the being that destroyed everything he loved. Thanos stepped out of the portal and closed it off behind him, taking in his surroundings before locking his gaze onto Shrek. A devilish smile came across him as he recognised The Ogre, "Look who it is," he said. Shrek said nothing as he readied the sword out in front of him. Thanos chuckled, "You really think that you can stop me this time. You failed even when you had the help of others, and now what do you have? Nothing."

Shrek glared at him as he held the sword with all of his might. He was channeling all of the hatred and despair he held within himself into the blade, praying that he could hold off Thanos just a little bit longer. Thanos wasted no time making his way towards the onion, ignoring Shrek completely. Shrek swung at Thanos, but was stopped by the single motion of the titan's finger, using the power of the infinity gauntlet to stop him. Shrek continued to attack but never managed to land a single hit. Thanos was nearing the tree now, Shrek losing hope with each passing second. Shrek jumped in front of Thanos and attempted to aim for the head, but his fist was caught in the air by Thanos. Thanos threw Shrek onto the ground and marched up towards the tree. He raised the gauntlet into the air and aimed it at the onion, but was stopped when Shrek grabbed his fist with his mighty ogre hands. Thanos looked down at the ogre below him holding him back with every last drop of courage that he had.

Thanos was struggling to bring his fist down onto the ogre. Even with all of the infinity stones within the gauntlet, he was being held back by such a pathetic little creature. Within Shrek's eyes was the last bit of hope that humanity had for their future. Shrek was channeling every last bit of himself into keeping the titan away from the onion. He let out a cry as Thanos tried as hard as possible to push the ogre away, but to no avail. Shrek was out of luck though, as Thanos raised his free hand into the air, formed a fist, and brought it down into Shrek's face. Shrek fell onto the ground, defeated. Thanos looked up at the onion and approached the branch where it hung. Shrek watched in complete despair as Thanos raised his hand and reached for the onion, believing that he had failed and all hope was lost, but maybe it was not. Just before Thanos could grab the onion from the tree, it snapped off of the branch. It landed with a thud, but not on the ground, rather into Thanos hand leaving it no chance to reach the surface.

The entire world froze for a moment as Shrek thought that he had managed to bring Oogway into the mortal realm. Any second now he would appear and send Thanos back to hell where he belonged. There was nothing. No Oogway, no hope for humanity. Perhaps Shrek should have never relied on a silly legend after all. Thanos chuckled and turned around at the ogre, taunting him with the onion in his hand, "You really thought that I would let the last onion fall? No, I am inevitable. You see, in order for the legend to be complete, the entirety of the onion must reach the surface of this earth, and as you can see, I stopped that from happening." Shrek looked down at the ground in defeat, drops of blood emanating from his nostrils and mouth. A single tear emerged from his eyes as all of his desires and hopes faded away into the abyss. Thanos gave him one last smile as he crushed the onion in his hand, letting the innards fall onto the ground before releasing the rest of it. The once whole onion fell in pieces and hit the ground, not making a sound.

More tears were radiating from Shrek, the only thing that he could bring himself to say was, "Why?" Thanos said nothing and walked up to The Ogre, grabbing his chin and forcing him to face his destiny.

Thanos stared into Shrek's soul and said, "You have my respect ogre." That was the last thing that Shrek heard before Thanos opened up a portal behind him, and walked out. Silence fell upon the world once more. The sky returned to normal and snowflakes started falling again. The ominous presence dissipated into nothingness. All that was left was Shrek, lying on the snow ridden ground with nothing but the pain of his own failure.

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**I am unsure of whether I will post more chapters. I do have plenty of ideas for more.**


	2. A Journey's Beginning

Never did Shrek think that it would have gone down this way. He believed that his final moments would have been remembered by those who witnessed it for all of eternity. Perhaps a heroic sacrifice of some kind, or just dying peacefully in bed after leaving behind a legacy to be passed down by generations. Well, certainly there was no chance of that happening now. For Shrek was lying on the cold ground, his cheek placed on the soft snow as a tear gently rolled off of it. Despite everything he did, or tried to do, Thanos won. He wiped out the entire universe and insured that there was no chance of anyone returning it to the way it once was. Once that final onion was crushed and left to rot away and become part of the earth once more all hope was lost. All hope that Shrek held within himself even during the most dreadful of days had faded away into the void.

Maybe… maybe the world was doomed from the start. After all, Shrek had seen many great tragedies and wars occur during his time spent on it. From the death of the ones he loved, to the death of the ones he hated, it all means nothing in the end, as the end really was about to happen. Shrek pondered on everything that he has done back when he never had a worry. From playing happily in the snow, to hiking to the top of the tallest mountains without having real reason besides, seeing what the world had to offer. It turned out that everything the world offered to him, lead him to the place he was currently doomed in. Even through the sorrows he still reminisced on the delights. His mother, his father and the whole rest of his family brought him the most joyous of memories. It brought peace to his mind as he laid in the snow waiting for his final moments.

What… what was everyone thinking before they died? Before Thanos snapped everyone away from existence. They had no clue that their life was about to fade in a matter of seconds, only a few truly did. Some of them may have been creating joyful memories with their family, others may have been at their lowest points, hoping that things would only get better. Whatever they were thinking it did not matter as they would not even remember. Shrek closed his eyes listening only to the breeze and the last fews beats of his heart. He could feel the snow gently landing on his cheek, slowly burying and allowing him to become a part of the world. There was nothing else left within the world, but the wind, snow, and a grim reminder that Shrek failed, only moments away from triumph, to set the world, the universe, to the way it was before.

...That is if it wasn't for the strange glowing light floating down from the sky. It was bright enough to catch Shrek's attention even through his eyelids. He thought for sure that it was just some sort vision he was having before his death, or perhaps he had already died and was about to be carried up to the heavens. Oddly enough the light seemed to be shaped like a living creature rather than anything spiritual. The light landed right next to The Onion Tree, where it slowly began to decrease in intensity. Despite feeling only moments away from death before Shrek managed to raise his body off of the ground, wiping away wet droplets that stuck to his face. Eventually, the light faded away completely leaving only a figure standing at the edge of the mountain. Shrek thought that his eyes were deceiving him, there was no way what he was seeing was not some sort of near death hallucination. He saw standing in front of him, a tall turtle with nothing in his hands, a green cloak wrapped around his shell with a yin-yang symbol. Oogway, the one that he had only knew in legends was real and upon him.

Shrek had to get a closer inspection, promptly getting back onto his feet and slowly approaching the being. It stood still staring off at the moon and letting the flakes softly hit his face. Once Shrek got close enough it turned around with a warm smile locked on its face. Shrek still had to check his eyes to confirm that he wasn't dreaming still firmly holding onto the belief he failed. But alas, Oogway was really there. His mouth trembled searching for words, but he could speak of nothing. He could feel his eyes watering, but tears refused to drop, even joy filled ones. Oogway's smile warmed him down into the pit of his soul, it brought peace in his mind.

After trying to think of something to say he finally managed to get a single word out of his mouth, or rather a name, "O-oogway?" he asked. Oogway's smile grew ever so slightly larger.

Oogway looked down at The Ogre who nearly collapsed below him, "It's been a long time, has it not?" Shrek's mind was in no mood to answer any sort of question. All that he wanted was for Oogway to fulfill what he was designed to do.

Shrek finally reached Oogway as they locked eyes and came face-to-face, "The legends… they are true?" Oogway tilted his head ever so slightly as Shrek continued, "You're here to bring everyone back, to set the world back to the way it was… before he came." Shrek almost lost himself as he was reminded of Thanos, but managed to keep himself together. After all, hope was restored within him. Oogway knew that the longer he kept Shrek talking the bigger the reaction he would get from The Ogre. "I have been waiting for so long, under this very tree, praying that the legend was true, and here you are." Shrek could not help but smile as he said his last comment, "So… bring everyone back and rid this universe of Thanos."

The two kept their gazes locked on each other, Shrek's smile fading with every passing moment, along with Oogway's. Every second that Oogway kept silent, Shrek's greatest and deepest worries began to surface. Oogway let out a soft sigh and finally answered to Shrek's internal question, "I am afraid that is impossible." Shrek's eyes widened the instant that the words processed in his mind. Even then, he still did not understand what he had just heard.

He started to lose himself once more and barely managed to get a proper sentence out, "W-w-what do you mean?" Shrek refused to let his mind think about the possibility that all of his years of waiting had been for nothing.

"The Onion Tree that you stand below at this very moment, is not the one that legends speak of." At this point, Shrek nearly collapsed as his entire world started to fall apart. But Oogway wasn't finished, "The true tree stands atop the tallest mountain in this universe," he said as he stepped aside allowing for Shrek to view the mountain that separated him from his childhood home. Shrek allowed for Oogway to finish his final remarks, "The Tree has sat there dormant for centuries, waiting for it's time to come. That time is now. However, the legend that you have been told if false. Yes, the final onion of the tree is key to freeing the souls trapped within the purgatory that Thanos unknowingly created, but it is not as simple as that. For you see, you must first give an offering to it. That offering being, onions." Oogway looked down at the basket that sat at the base of the tree, filled with the onions that Shrek had collected throughout his days.

Shrek could not comprehend everything all at once. The legend that he had believed in ever since the day where he lost everything, was all just a hoax. On top of that, there exists a true legend which he had never heard anyone ever speak of. He needed answers, "You are saying that after all of my days of collecting these onions, have been for nothing? That the thousands of years that I have spent waiting for that final onion to fall, ultimately lead up to something that was never true?"

Oogway gave a soft chuckle, "I never said that. Your efforts have not been for nothing, in fact it is quite the opposite." Oogway paused as he walked towards the basket full of onions from The Onion Tree. He grabbed the basket by its edges and lifted off of the earth, "You must take these onions to the top of the mountain, and give them as a gift to The Onion Tree. Only then will things begin to take a turn for the better." Oogway handed the basket to Shrek, who grabbed it even though he still did not understand what he was hearing.

As Oogway released the basket into Shrek's palms, The Ogre stared straight at Oogway and said, "I do not understand."

One final chuckle came out of Oogway, "Follow the river, it will take you to where you need to go, but until then, I must leave this realm. I fear that there may be great calamities arising elsewhere. I have faith that you will do the right thing, and succeed in getting your greatest desires. I am sorry that I could not stay any longer." Oogway started to walk away from Shrek, who tried to stop Oogway from leaving, but achieved nothing. The Being that Shrek had heard legends about began to slowly fade away from reality. Even Shrek's pleads for Oogway to stay could not stop what was happening. Eventually Oogway had completely disappeared into the air, no longer apart of the realm. Snowflakes took his place and covered the ground where he once stood.

Shrek was flabbergasted, he had no idea what he had witnessed. He thought back to when he was nearing his final moments; perhaps he had dreamed everything that had just occurred. No… it all felt too real to be a dream. Everything was becoming cloudy, but Shrek knew that he had to at least follow Oogway's guidance. He surveyed the onion basket that he held in his hands. It most certainly would be a pain to attempt to carry the basket without it's handle up the mountain. The journey would be a long one no matter which path Shrek took. After taking one final look at The Onion Tree, he nodded as if to confirm that he was going to make the journey. He barged into his shed once more feeling like he needed to hurry despite there seemingly being no need for a rush. He scanned all of the weapons that hung on his wall; he wanted to take them all with him but knew that it would be too much to carry. After thinking for a moment he set his mind on taking the onion revolvers and retrieving his sword which was laying dormant outside.

Shrek grabbed a waistband off of the wall which were capable of carrying the two onion revolvers and his sword, along with several other items that he may find along the way. Most importantly, capable of attaching the basket to. But first, he needed to fix the handle. He had planned on doing for a long time, but never saw any need to. It had been far too long since he had left the tree; he wondered what had changed in the world. Probably not much due to there being no other forms of life, or so he thought. From a cabinet that sat in the corner of the shed he retrieved all of the items necessary for fixing the handle. He made sure that he fixed it with care, not wanting to worsen the state of the only real thing to remember his mother by. It took a quick minute, but he managed to fix it. He wondered why he didn't just do it earlier, but it really did not matter.

Attaching the basket to his waistband, he walked back out into the increasingly cold air. The snow had started to pick up even more. He was nearly incapable of locating the onion sword that was buried under a blanket of powder. It was found just outside of the shed where it had been dropped after attempting to fend off Thanos. He attached the final item to his waist as he looked back at the 'home' he had been living at. There was a little bit of sadness in leaving it, but a small feeling of hope was resonating within him. He still truly believed that following Oogway in his words was the best of choices. It was now the time for him to begin his journey. There was a trail that lead straight down to the river within the valley. Navigating it would only become more and more difficult with each passing second. The world seemed to be working against Shrek, making his journey difficult before it truly started.

The footprints that he was leaving behind were quickly disappearing as the snowflakes grew larger and more came down every second. All of the trees that he passed by appeared as if they were going to collapse just from the amount of snow alone. Bushes and other plants were completely entombed from life. Walking was becoming ever more difficult, but due to his large feet he was able to trudge the uneven ground without to much of a problem. Eventually, he made his way down into the valley. Despite the increasingly cold temperature, the river remained untouched from anything that the elements had to offer. Look at it the right way, you would not even be able to tell that it was winter. There was a fairly small boat that was attached to a pole. Shrek was surprised to see that the boat had managed to stay where he left it all those years ago. The pole it held onto was almost completely submerged in the snow. He cleared it off and found the rope still tied tightly to the wood. The Ogre pulled the boat to the edge of the river and made sure that it was still usable. He had to clear out all of the snow that had piled onto it.

There was a strange howl that caught him off guard. It sounded like it came from all around him. He thought that it could have been wolves, but realised that would be impossible. The only plausible explanation that he could think of was the wind, which was picking up. But the noise just felt off. It sounded otherworldly, like something that did not even exist at all. Maybe it was some kind of message, a warning? Perhaps taking the journey was actually a bad idea. He needed to find some kind of answer if he ever wanted his mind to be able to rest again. The snow was becoming so intense that his vision became blurry. He could barely see a foot in front of him and despite this, he still managed to make out something that was laying in the river. It was floating on top of the water and seemed to be some kind of… person. Not a mannequin, not some strange replica of a once thriving species, but a real, living person.

Shrek could not believe what he was seeing. It could not be a body, Thanos left no trace of humanity whatsoever. Maybe the person died way before the snap ever happened? No… it would not appear to be so alive. Shrek needed to retrieve it and see if he was just going crazy or not. After insuring that his onions were safely left on dry land, he leapt into the river and made his way towards the body. The water was freezing, it really was. In all honesty, it was a mystery as to why it was not frozen over. Whether the river had some sort of magical properties did not matter, all that mattered in the moment, was retrieving the lost soul. With his mighty ogre hands he managed to get to it in no time. He pulled it to the dry land and laid it down into the snow. He was able to see now that it was a man, around thirty years of age. Strangely enough, the man looked as if he had only been outside for a few seconds. There were almost no signs of freezing, or snow ever touching him.

The man had a clean shaven face with short brown hair. Shrek made several attempts to awaken the man, but to no avail. After trying a few more times he gave up. He saw no use in even wasting his energy. Sure, it was the only sign of life that he had seen besides Thanos, but in what way would it benefit him to help the man out. He stood up and was about to leave the man to freeze in the snow, but was stopped when he heard a gasp. Shrek turned around and upon doing so saw the man sit up in a panic. He was breathing frantically almost as if he had just awakened from a nightmare. The man looked around swiftly trying to figure out where he was. He was clearly distressed and uncertain of his location, which only made Shrek more curious of his origin. It did not take long for the man to finally catch a glimpse of Shrek. Seeing the Mighty Ogre caused him to freeze in place. His eyes widened the longer he stared into Shrek's eyes.

Shrek needed answers, "Who are you boy?" he asked looking down at the far smaller man. The man gave no answer almost as if he did not know the answer himself. "What is your name boy?" Shrek insisted. The man blinked several times and his eyes filled with recollection. He looked down at his legs before looking back up, pondering on his own thoughts for a brief second. Shrek did not understand what he was trying to get at. He raised his voice a little and asked one last time, "I need you to tell me your name boy."

The 'boy' was trying to give him an answer, but couldn't. He was searching around in his mind for who he was. There was something holding him back from remembering and the only thing that he could think of was Jack, Jack and something else. He was more than just an ordinary man, at least he felt that way. His past was a mystery even to himself, yet he did not know why. The man blinked once more and finally gave Shrek an answer to his question, saying only one single word, "Jacksfilms."


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